I probably am unreasonable because it's for charity so I'm sure no one will feel bad about ripping me to shreds but the what that rapper on the Grenfell Tower Bridge Over Troubled Waters song says

[TheIncredibleBookEatingManchot]

It could have been his mum or his nephew or him up there.

But a couple of lines earlier he says he's never even met any of the victims so what makes him think he could have been in their homes?

I might be a little forgiving if it turns out he lives in or has lived in a tower block as equally unsafe as Grenfell turned out to be but...

At least 79 people have died, many more are injured, traumatised, homeless and bereaved WHY IS HE MAKING THIS ABOUT HIM?

Bridge over troubled water is arguably one of the best songs if all time.
The charity version is not as goid as the original ( nothing can be) but its a good choice. Y a b u

Sorry this has probably already been said but there were so many people after the London and Manchester attacks saying how they were just there or their families could have been involved.
Apparently that's ok but when someone who comes from a similar background says it he gets slated. Why? Because he's a rapper? Because some people are racist? Because he grew up poor? People calling him a gangster are just awful. This thread is just awful.
So many people have died. That is the real tragedy. Not the song trying to raise money for it.
For the record I actually found Stormzy's part to be the most moving and heartfelt of the lot.

It is a bloody awful cover put together by the bloody awful Simon Cowell. Can't bear it - especially the rapping. Appreciate the sentiment behind it, but won't be buying such a dreadful piece of "music".

As OhhBetty says, "It could have been me" is one of the very first things many people think/say, when a tragedy happens and they are close by. It's human nature!
Those people also then suffer great "survivor guilt". It's a very well documented and recognised thing!
How you could miss all that OP is quite baffling.

YABU.

I haven't heard it and don't intend to as I can't stand that song in general tbh, I also have no idea who Stormzy is but judging by what's written here it's obvious he's saying that it could've been anyone in there.

Just your normal average family, it could've been any of us or our families and sometimes needs to be done to prevent it happening again. It's really not that hard to understand a bit empathetic sentiment surely?!

I'm glad other people hate it, it's horribly done. It's such a beautiful song and what they've done to it is terrible: slowing it down so much and the oh-so obvious & stilted switching line by line between 'stars'. All posturing and puff - it doesn't feel like a group of people coming together to mourn and support. It feels like grab five minutes off a load of celebs, stick a microphone in their face, get them to overperform their line and mash it all together horribly.

Far better for us to all contribute money directly to an appeal fund than buy that self-aggrandising garbage.

Glad other people hate it? There really are some miserable specimens on this thread.

'Far better for us to all contribute money directly to an appeal fund than buy that self-aggrandising garbage'

Why is it better to donate in a different way. The song is at number one so clearly people do like it. If money gets donated why is one way better than others?

OhhBetty who has said it is okay for anyone to say they could have been there about the Manchester or London attacks when they were unlikely to have been?

Because I am critical of a few lines rapped by one black man does not make me racist towards black people or anti-rap in anyway. I've also criticised Simon Cowell on this thread. You haven't extrapolated from that that I'm racist towards white people. Why not? Is there a difference?

It feels like grab five minutes off a load of celebs, stick a microphone in their face, get them to overperform their line and mash it all together horribly.

Aren't you a clever little girl that you managed to notice that is generally what a charity single involves!

OP reading all your posts is like Groundhog Day.

IMO they are the dictionary definition of crass, not Stormzy's lyrics. You link an article about how survivors feel about being sung about, have you thought about how they'd feel reading your post? I'm suprised you haven't, given how you've desperately tried to explain how full of empathy you are.

simon was very upset about this and isnt taking any money from it

Bollocks. Everything Simon Cowell does is about Simon Cowell. It's not a coincidence that it's all "his" people who are singing on the record. It's as much about raising HIS profile and that of his artists as it is about raising funds for the people affected. Real philanthropists make quiet donations and don't seek publicity for it - Cowell does not fall into that category at all.

Mitzy, some charity singles are better than others.

NerrSnerr, I think it's better just to donate than get something (even a crappy single) in return.

Don't rappers like pretending to be gangsters any more?

But category you said it's far better 'for us all' to contribute and not get the single. Do what's best for you but it's really arrogant to dictate to others.

I wish people would write some new stuff instead of butchering the songs of the second half of the 20th century.

Whether it's a charity single or an advert, every memory we have of the originals is traduced by constant reinterpretation.

I am not lacking in empathy btw and will give money via my job.

Well when I have the power to dictate to others, I shall bear that in mind . And ignore it, cos megalomania.

Don't rappers like pretending to be gangsters any more?

Oh great, you're back...

So why did you strike through the word gangster? Is 'oh but aren't all rappers gangster rappers?' your explanation?

TheIncredibleBookEatingManchot No one said it wasn't ok for people to say they could have been there though. Personally 2 members of my familu actually witnessed the London attack.
And I don't understand why you think I eas talking about you? My post was in no way directed towards you, they were general musings. The fact you've taken it to be about yourself is your issue. HTH

Mitzy
I struck it out because I don't believe they are the gangsters they often pretend to be.

Does it matter if it's all about self promotion for Cowell? This single will raise lots of money for charity and that's what's needed.

Some people just need to see the negative in everything. If you don't like it then that's fine but I find it odd that people don't like the sentiment behind it.

Yabu considering stormzys intro is the only part of the song which is good

Was just about to say the same Honey. I nearly cried at the intro, thought it showed a great deal of empathy and emotion. The rest of the song was a bit meh tbh.

Barth no most rappers don't pretend to be gangsters most if not all come from poor areas where there is a lot of gang activity and so their songs will reflect that.
But to make the automatic assumption that all rappers want to be or behave like gangsters tells me a few things.

1. You have no idea what real gangsters are like believe me.
2. You're just another middle class bigot who hides there contempt to people like Stormzy with by throwing shady references around in the guise of a humour and thinking only like minded people will realise what your doing.

And so we go back to it could have happened to me because it's smaller, easier to grasp and it doesn't hurt so much.

Op you say it's impossible for any of us to understand what happened, so we imagine it as us to comprehend it?

Well what's wrong with that? That is literally what empathy is. No, none of them can ever get it right and the song is an absolute assault on the ears but so is 90% of what's out and at least this is attempting to do some good".